Top moments of 2006, needs for 2007

No. 1: Astros icon Jeff Bagwell shows up to spring training and eventually proves to himself and announces that he cannot play anymore, ultimately retiring in December after missing the entire season.

No. 2: Roger Clemens, the future Hall of Famer, plays together with his son, Koby, for the Class A Lexington Legends in his first of a three-game minor-league tour before rejoining the Astros on June 22.

No. 3: Roy Oswalt reaches a five-year, $73-million contract on Aug. 29, his 29th birthday, in a deal that proves to be the largest commitment the franchise has ever made to a pitcher. It’s also a win-win situation for both sides considering the money the Astros saved because Oswalt likely would have garnered much more if he had decided to test the free-agent market after the 2007 season. Oswalt wins by assuring his deal more than a year before being eligible for free agency.

By the way, Oswalt is undefeated since signing his deal. Talk about a money player.

No. 4: Willy Taveras, who had lost his starting position midway through the season a year after finishing second for NL Rookie of the Year, regains his job by setting a franchise record with a 30-game hitting streak that was among the longest in baseball in 2006.

No. 5: Late surge to put a nice touch on a disappointing year. The 2006 season fell short of expectations, but the late run while the St. Louis Cardinals almost collapsed gave the city of Houston tremendous excitement. That four-game series victory over the Cardinals in September was the most amazing regular-season series I had seen at Minute Maid Park during my six seasons covering baseball here.

And the winner is … By the way, we have a winner in the Roy Oswalt contest.

“There were a lot of great entries,” Oswalt said.

We ultimately narrowed the list to two competitors. You guys submitted over 30,000 words worth of your memories, and it was a treat to have read them all. Thank you for sharing your moments. I’m still trying to figure out a way to reward every person who submitted a list. We’ll announce the winner next Monday after I get a chance to interview her fully in the next two days.

Suggestion box: By the way, what are your suggestions to the Astros for 2007?

What do the Astros need? A new pitcher? Another hitter?

Do you think Roger Clemens will join Andy Pettitte with the Yankees? I’m starting to think he will.

Looking ahead, and in the rearview mirror: How much energy and excitement do you think Craig Biggio will bring to Minute Maid Park as he chases 3,000? I, for one, cannot wait. I have covered a perfect game at Yankee Stadium, a six-pitcher no-hitter (the only one in major-league history), a Subway Series, the first MLB regular-season games in Mexico, the first MLB opening series in Tokyo, Japan, and been the Astros’ beat writer for the first World Series in the state of Texas.

I’ve never had a chance to cover a march to 3,000, and I think it will be an exciting march for the entire city. We’ll see. What do you think? What’s the best thing Astros fans can do to honor this feat?